


Hot for Teacher

by hannahindie



Category: Stranger Things - Fandom
Genre: Dad Hopper, Dating, F/M, Fluff, Reader Insert, Stranger Things fanfic, Stranger Things fanfiction - Freeform, Teacher Reader, stranger things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 17:24:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17084531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannahindie/pseuds/hannahindie
Summary: Hopper is nervous about El going to school and has begun a friendship with her teacher over the phone. When they finally meet in person, the encounter doesn’t go as well as either of them would have liked. Who will make the first move in an effort to start over?





	Hot for Teacher

_“Ms. Y/LN, come to the office, please, you have a phone call.”_ The intercom crackled, the pop of it shutting off echoing in the quiet classroom. Twenty pairs of eyes looked up at her from the quiz she had just handed out and she smiled gently. 

“I’ll be right back. I trust there won’t be any wandering eyes while I’m gone.” She looked pointedly at Dustin who looked away and pretended to whistle, careful not to look at Lucas’ quiz as Y/N stood and slipped quietly through the door. The halls of Hawkins High School were empty, with the exception of one girl hurrying past Y/N with a stack of attendance sheets in her hand. Although Mrs. Marsh hadn’t said who the call was from, she would have bet her next month’s salary she knew who it was. She passed through the office door and Mrs. Marsh smiled at her as she handed her the receiver. “Are you a bettin’ woman, Wanda?” 

“Not this time, Y/N,” she answered with a laugh as Y/N put the phone to her ear. 

“Hello?” 

“ _Ms. Y/LN? It’s Chief Hopper_.” “Oh, hi! What can I do for you?” 

_“I was just…you know, I was talking to El this morning, and I’m not sure that starting next semester is a good idea._ ” 

Y/N frowned, “Why do you feel that way?” 

“ _Well, ya know, she’s…well, she’s different. And you know how kids are. Mike’s a good kid and has been helping her out a lot, all those boys are good kids, but they all went through a lot together. The other kids…I’m just not sure they’re ready for her kind of different yet, is all._ ”

“Chief-”

_“You can call me Jim.”_

Y/N smiled, and Wanda winked at her. Y/N waved her off and the older woman chuckled and wandered out of the office. “Jim, I understand your concern, but I think she’s going to be just fine. She has a great support system, and from what you’ve told me, she’s a very intelligent little girl.” She paused and could picture Jim Hopper on the other end of the line, his brows knitted in concentration and concern as he tries to decide what would be best for the little girl he had so recently adopted. “Why don’t you come in and we can talk in person, huh? We can come up with a plan, and if you still feel like she’s not ready, we’ll give her the summer. Sound good?” 

“ _Yea, that sounds fine. I’ll be there this afternoon. Have a good day, Ms. Y/LN_.” The line went dead before Y/N could respond, and she couldn’t help but smile. It sounded fine by her, too. 

“If you’re going to see him, you better take some donuts with you. I’ve heard he enjoys them in the morning, along with his coffee and contemplation.” Wanda shouted from the records room and Y/N rolled her eyes.

“I’m not meeting him in the morning, Wanda, but thank you for the input.  And quit gossiping with Flo!” 

* * *

Y/N straightened the items on her desk for what felt like the hundredth time as she looked nervously at the clock. She had been speaking to Hopper on the phone for weeks, at least once a day, but she’d never actually talked to him in person. She was fairly new to town, which is why they’d never met, but he was the chief; everyone knew who he was. She’d seen him around the grocery store, sometimes with El, usually not, but always with an absurd amount of waffles. He was quiet, but he seemed kind hearted, especially after the whispered rumors she’d heard around town, and the circumstances that resulted in him taking in the abandoned girl.

A knock on the door frame interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to see Hopper standing in the entranceway. 

“Hello, Chief Hopper! Come in.” 

He cleared his throat as he quickly removed his hat and approached her desk, “Hello, Ms. Y/LN. You, uh, you can call me Jim.” 

“Well, you can call me Y/N. It’s nice to finally meet you in person.” 

He nodded curtly and sat down, his eyes roving the room before finally landing on her. “Thanks for meeting with me. I know I’ve been calling a lot, it’s just…well, I don’t really remember what it’s like to have a girl, so getting a teenager has been an eye opener. A very rambunctious eye opener.” 

She tilted her head, “Do you have other children?” 

His brows furrowed and he cleared his throat again, “Uh, no, no I don’t. She’s…she’s the only one. Listen, I don’t mean to be rude, but aren’t you a little young to be a teacher? You seem young.” 

Y/N’s open demeanor instantly shifted. “No, Chief Hopper, I am the same age as most other teachers that start out. Older, actually. Now, what concerns do you have for El? It seems like, from what you’ve told me, that her social skills have greatly improved. I assume she can read, write?” 

“Of course she can, she’s smart-”

“So what concerns do you have? It sounds like she’s on track to start next semester. It might be a little hard for her, it’s hard for any new student, but she’s got something that most other new students don’t have; she has friends, and you.” Y/N crossed her hands on the top of the desk, and Hopper shifted awkwardly in his chair.

“I guess nothing.” He shifted his chair back and stood, settling his hat back onto his head, “If that’s all, I have a job I gotta do.” 

Y/N nodded, “Unless you have any other questions, I think we’re fine. If you _do_ have any more questions-” 

“I don’t think I will.” Hopper cut her off and walked towards the door. He turned back as he stepped into the hall, “Thanks for the help.” He disappeared around the corner and Y/N dropped her head. 

“That went well,” she muttered under breath, frustrated with herself for letting his comment get to her. How was she supposed to get back into the most difficult person’s good graces?

* * *

“Dad?” El looked up from the television as Hopper walked into the living room, tossing his hat on the table and unhooking his gun belt. 

“Hey, kiddo.” He walked over to the fridge and grabbed a beer, cracking it open with a hiss as he settled into his armchair. 

“Bad day?” She turned the television off and turned to face Hopper, her brows furrowed. 

“Nah, nah, it was okay. Just long. I got you some waffles from the diner, they’re in the kitchen.” 

“Eggos?” 

“No,” he chuckled, “Actual, honest to God, homemade waffles. Better than Eggo.” El jumped up from the floor and disappeared into the next room. Hopper sighed and took a sip of his beer, the conversation from earlier echoing in his mind. “I’m a goddamn idiot,” he mutters as he stares at the can in his hand. “Too young? What the hell was I thinking?” 

“Who is…too young?” El returned from the kitchen and flopped onto the couch, shoving a forkful of waffle into her mouth.

“Ah, no one. Just talkin’ to myself.” 

“ _Who_?” she insisted, her eyes narrowing as she stared at him. 

“I saw your teacher today.” 

“My teacher?” 

“Yea…umm…you know how we talked about you maybe getting to go to school? I just talked to your teacher. She seems to think it would be alright for you to start next semester. How do ya feel about that?” 

El stopped mid-chew, “Really?” 

Hopper nodded, “Really.” 

“Promise?” 

“Promise.” 

She dropped her plate onto the coffee table with a loud clatter, and threw herself at Hopper. “Thank you!” 

“It’s nothing, kid. You’ve put the work in.” He tightened his arms around her, surprised at how much she had grown in the past year, and hoped that it would be enough to get her through the next semester mostly unscathed. 

“But who is too young?” El pulled back to look at him and he sighed. 

“Your teacher. I did that thing where I speak before I think. Something that should probably be added to the ‘Don’t Be Stupid’ rules.” 

“Is she pretty?” “Yea, she is, very pretty. But, she’s a lot younger than me. She wouldn’t want anything to do with me, especially since I just acted like an ass.” 

“An ass?” El stood and looked at him, her head tilted.

“Yea…a jerk. I was kind of a jerk. And don’t say ass.” He sighed, “I should probably apologize, huh?” 

El nodded, “Friends apologize when they are wrong.” 

“That’s sound advice, kid. Now, go finish your dinner.” She walked back over and dropped onto the couch, her attention turned back to the television. Hopper watched her for a moment, amazed by how much she had picked up in such a short amount of time before his mind returned to Y/N. How the hell was he supposed to apologize?

* * *

Y/N stood outside the police station, donut box in hand, and tapped her foot nervously. It had been a week since her first ‘in person’ encounter with Hopper had taken place, and she hadn’t been able to keep him off her mind. She was still a little frustrated by his assumptions that her age mattered in regards to her teaching abilities, but she found that the more she thought about _him_ , the less she cared about that. 

She couldn’t stand outside the station all day, she still had to go to work, so she took a deep breath and marched inside.

“Hey, Flo! I’m here to see Hopper.” Flo looked at her, down to the box in her hand, then back up and smiled. “Don’t say a word. Is he here?” 

“He’s in his office.” she said with a raised eyebrow.

“Thank you,” Y/N replied, pointedly avoiding acknowledging Flo’s unspoken remark and pushed past the little wooden door separating the lobby from the bullpen. She paused at his partially open door then pushed it open, leading her entrance with the box of donuts. He looked up from his desk in surprise.

“Y/N.” 

“Morning, Chief Hopper.” She sat the pastries down and he glanced down at them, perplexed, before looking back up at her. “I think we got off on the wrong foot, so I thought I’d bring you a peace offering.” 

“You didn’t have to do that.” 

“I know I didn’t, I wanted to. Also, I thought maybe I’d ask you something else while I was here.” 

She paused and he sat back in his chair, eyebrow raised, “By all means, ask away.”

“Well, I…that is, I was wondering…do you want to have dinner with me sometime? We can discuss the plan for El in more detail, make sure everything is in line before she comes into the classroom.” She groaned inwardly; that was not why she wanted to have dinner. But as soon as the words started to leave her mouth, she panicked. 

“Dinner to discuss El, huh?” He tried to mask his disappointment at it being more of a parent-teacher meeting than a date. He wasn’t sure why he thought it would be anything but; she was young and beautiful, not to mention kind. Not exactly the kind of person that would be interested in a cranky, chain smoking chief of police. 

“Yes, if you’re okay with that. The other day…well, I’m sorry about the other day. It didn’t really go the way either of us expected it to, did it?” 

“You don’t…it’s not your fault. I should be the one that’s apologizing to you. And no, didn’t really go the way I planned, anyway. Dinner does sound good, though. How about tomorrow at seven? I can meet you at the diner.” 

She nodded, “That sounds perfect. Tomorrow at seven it is. See you then, Chief Hopper. Enjoy your donuts.” She turned and walked out and Hopper ran a hand down his face as he groaned. 

“I thought you were on a diet.” He looked up to see Flo looking at him from the doorway, and he flipped the box open, grabbing a donut and glaring at her. 

“I don’t care, Flo.” 

“Stress eating isn’t good for you-” 

“Don’t care! Don’t you have some papers to file or things to collate? Get outta here.” He took an angry bite out of his donut and watched as Flo disappeared the way she had come, chuckling under her breath. “Dinner. She wants to have dinner.” He brushed some glaze out of his whiskers, still annoyed at Flo for butting in where she didn’t belong. “It’s just to talk about El, don’t get your hopes up. It’s not like she asked you out on a date. Right? She would have mentioned it being a date. So just…go, and try not to stick your damn foot in your mouth.” 

“If you need some advice on how to take a lady out, I can help-”

“Shut up, Flo.” 

* * *

“Why are you dressed like that?” 

Hopper looked over his shoulder at El, who was leaning against the doorway to his bedroom, watching him nervously straighten his tie. “What do you mean?” 

“Your shirt is tucked in.” She squinted as she tilted her head, “And you parted your hair differently.” 

He hurriedly brushed his hair back the other way, then tossed the brush onto his dresser. “That’s as good as it’s gonna get. What do you think?” 

She stared at him for a moment, eyes still narrowed as she looked him over, then smiled wide. “You look very handsome.” 

“Thanks, kid. Alright,” he said as he walked out of his room and into the kitchen, “I gotta go if I’m gonna be on time. I shouldn’t be too late, but if I’m not back by nine, make sure you brush your teeth and go to bed. I’ll come in and check on you. Lock the door behind me.” 

“Good luck!” 

Hopper nodded, then closed the door behind him, waiting for the click of the lock before he left the porch. “This isn’t a date,” he mumbled to himself as he climbed into his truck, “you’re just talking about El. Don’t be a dick, Hopper.” He pulled out of the driveway and drove towards town, the silence in the cab deafening. 

The drive into town was a short one, but it felt like it lasted an eternity. The closer he got to the diner, the more nervous he became. He was frustrated with himself; it was unlike him to let something get him so worked up, but just the thought of her made his stomach tie in knots.

He turned into the diner’s parking lot and slowed to a stop. He pulled the keys from the ignition and looked up just in time to see Y/N toss her hair over her shoulder, the menu in hand as she tapped the fingers of her free hand against the table. The light from the setting sun landed on her like a spotlight, casting a rosy glow on her cheeks. He took a deep breath, then opened his truck door. 

It was now or never. 

* * *

Y/N nervously tapped her fingers against the tabletop as she stared at the menu, not really seeing anything on it. It was five til seven, and though he wasn’t late, she was beginning to wonder if she’d made a mistake. 

“Miss, are you ready to order?” 

She looked up at the waitress and smiled nervously, “I’m still waiting, he should be here any minute. Thank you.” The waitress raised an eyebrow, but nodded and walked away and Y/N sighed. Not even the waitress believed her. The bell above the door jingled and she looked up  halfheartedly. Hopper stood in the doorway, hair combed and shirt tucked in. He turned towards her and one corner of his mouth curled up as he walked to her table. 

“Good evening.” 

“Good evening, Chief.” Hopper sat down and motioned at the waitress before looking back at Y/N, “You _can_ call me Jim, I’m not always the chief.” 

She smiled, “Of course…Jim.” 

The waitress brought him a cup of coffee, gave Hopper a knowing grin, then walked away. “So you wanna talk about El starting class? Do you think she’s not ready after all?” Hopper took a sip of coffee, then carefully sat it on the table. 

“Oh, no, not at all. Sorry if I insinuated…I only wanted…” she paused, unsure of how to word what she was thinking. She took a deep breath and decided to just go for it. “I didn’t actually ask you here to talk about El. I asked you here so we could have dinner…just the two of us.” There it was; she just dropped it out into the open, and she could barely stand the silence. 

Then Hopper chuckled. It was quiet, so quiet she wasn’t sure she’d even heard it, but then he did it again. She watched as his hand overlapped hers on the table, then looked up to see him smiling. 

“Why are you laughing?” 

“It’s just…I was worried about meeting with you. I wanted to ask you to dinner and you beat me to it. And then I thought it was just ‘cause of El. I mean, I even tucked in my shirt.” He laughed quietly again, “It’s just nice hearing that you were just as nervous.”

Y/N smiled back at him, “Tough Jim Hopper was nervous about having dinner with me?” He ducked his head, then looked back up at her when she put her other hand over his and squeezed. “Well then, now that we got that out of the way, neither of us need to be nervous anymore. So how about we order dinner, and see where the night takes us?”

“I think I’d be just fine with that.”


End file.
